Heckel HT3000 – Whole body hyperthermia

Body temperature plays a crucial role in the regulation of the immune system.

A healthy organism reacts to the threat of illness with regulated increases in temperature, progressing in acute cases to a high fever which can trigger an enhanced immune response.

Similarly, an artificially induced increase in body temperature can result in a sustained stimulation of otherwise inhibited powers of self-healing.

The Heckel HT-3000 hyperthermia system is designed to provide moderate hyperthermia.

Whole body hyperthermia may be beneficial as an adjunct therapy which may work in synergy with other therapies.

The new heckel HT3000 is a joint development of heckel medizintechnik GmbH and Hydrosun Medizintechnik GmbH - world leaders in the field of whole-body hyperthermia.

Indepth specialized knowledge in the fields of technology and clinical research on water-filtered infrared-A-radiation by hydrosun is combined with many years of technical and clinical know-how in whole-body hyperthermia by heckel. The heckel HT3000 wholebody hyperthermia unit is manufactured by Hydrosun and is distributed worldwide by heckel gmbH.

Included on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG Identifier 37327), Medical Device Included Class IIb, Heating unit, canopy, system.

Intended use

This system is intended to be used to produce and control the delivery of mild heat, ie elevation of body temperature up to 40.5°C. The system uses water-filtered infrared radiation to induce mild whole-body hyperthermia for immune modulation as adjunctive therapy. The system comprises a canopy containing the heating lamps and a control unit to regulate and record the delivery of heat.

The heat source and the water filter

Nature provided the inspiration for the HT-3000: The hydrosun® irradiators have a patented, sealed liquid filter that enables them to replicate the combination of the sun and the moisture in the Earth‘s atmosphere. A water filter absorbs infrared light of those wavelengths that would otherwise present a thermal burden to the skin.

An important feature of water-filtered infrared-A (wIRA) is its ability to penetrate into deeper-lying tissues while at the same time being gentle to the skin, thus allowing the application of wIRA at higher intensities resulting in increased effectiveness. The rise in the body‘s core temperature is correspondingly rapid and well-tolerated. In the leg and foot regions, further infrared emitters create a comfortable temperature in the interior of the tent so that the minimising heat loss.

Networkable special documentation software FebroData with manifold options (inter alia curve analyses and comparisons, statistics, medication, patient-specific annual survey, ICD10 list). Even during treatment, the data of this patient or other patients can be viewed and processed as required.

The hyperthermia treatment consists of two phases

Irradiation phase

Heat retention phase

The patient lies recumbent with his/her head positioned either inside or outside the tent. The wIRA irradiators are arranged above the exposed upper part of the body. The patient lies on the comfortable mattress of an adjustable hospital bed.

The patient lies wrapped in the walls of the tent. The temperature generally still increases by a few tenths of a degree and can be maintained at this plateau level for as long as required. The electrically adjustable treatment bed allows the patient’s position to be altered according to his/her wishes and needs – from a horizontal position with the patient lying on the back or side to an upright seated position. In this way, comfortable positioning can be ensured even during a treatment lasting several hours. Using the electrically powered heckel-Lift 3000, the irradiator can be raised high above the bed improving the patient comfort.